5/27/2008

In this place we call Europe

Who would imagine that in Europe there is a country where people can be prevented from travelling freely, can be assaulted, beaten up and have their vehicles burnt, attacked, damaged and ruined and whilst this happens, the police look on and laugh as they share jokes with the perpetrators.

If I said it was Russia, you'd probably expect it, but if I say it is France, an EU members state, a state which was supposedly born on the virtues of "liberte, egalite, fraternite", we can see again (like my last post) why so many people don't trust European institutions at any level.

Yes, because it seems in France local fishermen are allowed to close ports, ram British ships, attack crews and even attack British yachts with firebombs if they want to leave the ports. Meanwhile the French police look on and laugh.

Where are the MEP's who should be complaining about British boats being prevented from leaving French ports by local thugs ? Where are the British MP's who should be raising hell about the French Police looking on as British boats have been rammed or attacked with firebombs ? Where is our government when the rule of law is not being applied evenly to EU citizens in an EU state ? Do the guarantees on out passports mean anything ? Not in the EU it seems.

I await howls of derision and claims that I am xenophobic.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

On the contrary, apart from the unjustified jibe at the Russian police (who police football matches, for example, rather better than the Manchester police) this is a surprisingly sensible post. What's the missing word after "people's" in the first line though?

B^)

Haribo said...

Yuh I (mostly) agree with the post, and Tom.

One problem with socialists (French or otherwise) is that they don’t believe in a liberal environment in which everyone is free to go about their business. Rather they view life as an ongoing class war in which they must force people to do certain things before ‘the capitalists’ force them to do other things.

Anonymous said...

Nich... Best post since I began hanging around here, particularly, as a LibDem...

John Hemming said...

You are right about this.

Nich Starling said...

Tom, you are comparing chalk with cheese when it comes to football.

Firstly the Russians halted anyone without tickets from going to Russia. The british police could not stop 100,000 Scots, Its not possible or legal.

Apart from that, thank you for agreeing with me.

Letters From A Tory said...

No MP dares criticise the EU at the moment, seeing as neither party leader is trying to hold the EU to account or stand up for this country's interests.

Sad days indeed.

Anonymous said...

As so often (and it must be my fault, as I am the one making it) you missed my point. In referring light heartedly to football, I was trying to upbraid you very gently (for I believe you to be a kind, if politically misguided, soul) about your stereotyped view of Russia.

Tony said...

Quite right Tom. We must not stereotype Russia. It is a great land of wonderful people, governed by a benevolent leadership that would not dream of poisoning opponents overseas, cutting off gas supplies to strong-arm nations that look to the West, or using a Security Council veto to shield its own interests in constructing a heavy water reactor in Iran... A model nation indeed.

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